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How Many Delegates Does Oregon Have?
The presidential primary is winding down with less than a dozen states that still need to vote. And although some may argue the parties' nominees are clear, the race isn't over yet — no candidate has yet to snag the minimum number of delegates required to win their party's nomination. Voters in Oregon will head to the polls Tuesday in an effort to help move things along in the race to the White House. But how many delegates does Oregon have to award in its presidential primary?
The Republican primary contest is effectively over in all but name ever since Ted Cruz and John Kasich pulled themselves from the race to leave real estate mogul Donald Trump the party's presumptive nominee. However, voters in states that have yet to cast their ballots for their preferred presidential candidate are still entitled to determine how their delegates are awarded. Trump currently has 1,086 delegates, a 151 delegate shortfall of the 1,237 delegates needed to officially secure the Republican nomination.
A total of 28 delegates will head to the Republican National Convention to represent Oregon voters in July. The state awards 15 district-level delegates — three for each of its five congressional districts — along with an additional 10 at-large delegates on a proportional basis following a statewide vote. The remaining three delegates from Oregon are known as bound delegates and are culled from the state's RNC members.
There's a slight chance Oregon voters might see a more interesting primary race across the aisle as a recent poll showed Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton holding a surprising but noticeable lead over Bernie Sanders. It seems the Vermont senator may face some stiff competition at the polls despite having been able to attract sizable crowds at campaign events held throughout the state.
Oregon will send 74 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in July with 13 of those slated to be unbound superdelegates able to vote for whichever presidential candidate they prefer. Oregon's remaining 61 delegates act as pledged delegates and are allocated proportionately in accordance to Democrat's national party rules.
Clinton currently holds 1,716 pledged delegates and a whopping 524 superdelegates putting her well ahead of Sanders' reported 1,473 pledged delegates and 40 superdelegates. A total of 116 delegates will be up for grabs for the Democratic candidates when eligible residents in Oregon and Kentucky vote in primaries on Tuesday, May 17.
As assumptions about each party's presumptive nominee continues to grow and attention begins to turn from the primary to November's general election, it can be easy to assume the presidential candidates are official. But the primary's electoral process isn't over and residents in states like Oregon are still being courted by candidates as the hunt for delegates continues.